Automatic cash-carrier



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. FLAGG. AUTOMATIC CASH CARRIER.

No. 308,032. Patented Nov. 11, 1-884.-

W qessa 1 1 m 2 Sheets-$heet 2.

(No Model.)

J. W. PLAGG.

AUTOMATIC CASH UARRIER.

Patented Nov. 11, 1884.

.ULHI'H I I I 5 ll PETERS. Phnln-Liflwgnwher. washings". 0. C.

UNrrn 4 ra'rns aren't @rrrca J. WVALTER FLAGG, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC CASH-CARRIER.

PEPECIPZCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 308,032, dated November 11, 1884.

Application filed April 5, .1884.

To all 1071 0112, it may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH WALTER Fniice, a citizen of the United States, residing at NVorcester, in the county of lVorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Gash- Oarriers, of which the following is a specification.

.the pull-cords upon the baskets to prevent their rocking upon their axes of suspension; in the construction of the elevators and in the mode of hanging the same; in the mode of hanging and adj usting the tracks, and in the construction of the cash-carriers, as hereinafter set forth.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a cash-carrying system embodying the features of my invention, and in which Figure 1 shows a side elevation of an inward and outward track. Fig. 2 illustrates the mode of hanging and adjusting the tracks. Figs. 3 and 4 show rear and side views of the elevator; Fig. 5, the pulleys, b, forming a portion of the tackle by which the elevator is operated. Fig. 6 is a sectional view ofthe windingdrum; Fig. 7, a sectional view of the elevated receivingtrack; Fig. 8. a sectional view of the main outward track, showing the sliding bar forming the gate of the intermediate chamber. Fig. 9 represents a top view -of the inward track; Fig. 10, a top view of the outward track. Fig. 11 is a section of one of the rails of the outward track, showing its construction at one of the delivering-stations. Fig. 12 is a top view, of a portion of the outward track having a branch track, and showing the switch employed upon the outward tracks having divergent branches. Fig. 13 is a sectional view of the same on lineXX, Fig. 12. Fig. 14. is a toy view of a portion of an in- (No model.)

I ward track having a convergent branch, showing the rigid frog with an inclined surface. Fig. 15 is a side view of the same, with the rail nearest the behold r removed. Fig. 16 is a sectional view on line S S, Fig. 14. Fig. 17 is a sectional view of one of the cash-carriers. Figs. 18 and 19 are plan views of the two hemispheres forming the carrier. Fig. 20 is a sectional view of one of the tubes used in the carrier, and Fi r. 21 is a side elevation of section of the outward track, having a divergent branch, and showing a side view of the switch, further illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several views.

In Fig. 1, A indicates an inward track inclined toward the cashiers desk. The cash is transmitted in hollow balls, which roll along the inclined way, and are returned to the salesman upon the oppositely-inclined way or track B. These rolling cash-carriers G are raised from the salesman to the inward track, A, by the elevator D, sliding between suitable vertical guiding-rods. The elevator is raised by pulling upon the cord a, and in order to allow a single short and convenient motion of the cord a to raise the elevator the entire height usually necessary in stores. I carry a cord, cl, from the top of the elevator over a single pulley, I), attached to the ceiling of the room; thence around one of the two pulleys 1) shown in Fig. 5; then over the single pulley b; then around the second of the two pulleys b, and then to an eyebolt, If, to which the end of the cord is fastened.

. To the strap or block b, holding the-two pulleys Z), is attached the pull-cord a. WVhatever distance the block b may be lowered by the cord a, the four cords between the block b and the ceiling must each be lengthened the same distance, and the elevator be raised a space equal to four times the motion of the cord a. The cash-carrier rests upon the tilt ing shelf (1, and against the back d, which I make in the form of a finger, extending from the bottom of the elevator upward high enough to retain the carrier. The finger (1 allows the carriers to be placedin the elevator more conveniently, the space at the sides of the finger affording room for the thumb and fingers and permitting the carrier to be retained. in the grasp until the carrier rests upon the tilting shelf. As the elevator D is raised, the hood or prong (l on the tilting shelf strikes the tripping-bar d at the end of the receiving-track A, tilting the shelf (1 and discharging the carrier C on the track A. The force with which the elevator is raised in connnon use causes the shelf d to strike the bottom of the elevator with an injurious blow. To obviate this I place the rubber block (1 upon the bottom of the elevator, or it may be attached to the ulr der side of the tilting shelf in proper position to be brought between the impingingsurfaces.

Upon the top of the elevator-D, I attach the cord at by passing the cord through a short piece of rubber tubing, (1 and around a pin,

' (l in the frame of the elevator, carrying the end of the cord back again through the elastic tube, which securely holds the end of the cord, and also forms an elastic cushion to receive the blow against the ceiling, or a crossbar or stop attached to the vertical guiderods, to limit the upward motion of the'ele'vator. After the carrier has been discharged upon the elevated receiving-track, it is prevented from rolling off the sides of the track,

or from bounding 0d the track, by a series of guard-wires, e, arranged at short distances apart, and having their ends attached to the rails forming the track A, the wires being arched over the track high enough to allow the carriers to roll beneath them.

To the rails of the elevated receivingrtraek A, I attach the blade-springs 6, extending over the main track and forming a part of the receiving-track, and of sufficient strength to partially sustain the carriers, which slightly depress their ends as they roll over them, as indicated by the broken lines 6 Fig. 1. By this means the carriers are lowered nearer the main track. before leaving the receiving-track. The inclination of the track A is also increased at the end by the curvature of the springs, giving an additional impetus to the. carriers.

At the end of the inward track, A, at the cashiers desk, I place the U-shaped wire f, held by and sliding in the posts f f, attached to the track. The spiral spring f, between the posts f and apin or collar, f, on the wire f, serves to hold the wiref in the position shown,the impact of the carriers against the wire f compressing the springs f. The graduated openings in the outward track, by which the graduated carriers are distributed to the several stations, and which were fully described in Letters Patent No. 274,302, granted to me March 30, 1883, are adapted to and employed in the system forming the subject of my present invention. One of these openings is shown at E, Figs. 1 and 10. In order to allow the carriers, which are too large to fall through the opening at E, to pass the same readily and smoothly, I chainfer the inner corners formed by the inner and upper corners of the rails and the curved surfaces of the opening E, as at g 9, these chamfered surfaces forming a continuous way,upon which the carriers may pass over the openings too small to allow their passage through.

Beneath the openings E, I place a cage or chamber, F, attached to the under side of the track, one end of the chamber coming immediately beneath the opening E, and the bottom of the chamber F being so inclined that the carriers falling through the openings E and entering the chamber will roll toward the opposite end,which is closed by the bar h, passing transversely across the end of the chamber and resting in the slot h, the collars h preventing the endwise motion of the rod. A basket, G, with an open end, h is held against the under side ofthe track by a cord, h", wound around the windingdrums h, attached to the sides of the track, and actuated by the coiled spring h, Fig. 6, one end of which is attached to a fixed spindle, h", and the. opposite end to the winding-drum. The prongs h, projecting from the basket G, serve to raise the bar h in the slot h and allow the carriers to pass through the coincident openings into the basket G, which I make long enough to hold two or more carriers. It is important that the basket Gshould be prevented from rocking on its axis of suspension as it is raised and lowered. For this pur pose I attach cords h h to the opposite and lower corners of the basket, uniting them in a single cord, h", by which the attendant may draw the basket down to remove the carriers, the strain upon the cords h h", holding the basket from rocking or tipping.

Fig. 2 shows the method of adjusting the height and inclination of the outward and inward tracks, and of securing the rails in the same plane. The rod j depends from the ceiling and carries the yoke j, attached by a setscrew, j so it may be adjusted vertically through the ends ofthe yoke and also through the lugs Attached to the rails i z of the upper and lower track are vertical rods j, attached to the yoke and to the rails by setscrews j j, and f. Either of the rails of the upper and lower track may be raised on the rods j and fastened at any desired height by means of the set-screws; or, when the rails of the upper and lower track are adjusted rela tively to each other, the rod j may be raised in the yoke and secured by the set-screw j Instead of the rods j and j and yoke j, rods k may be employed extending from the ceiling down by the side of the tracks through lugs attached to the rails, and having setscrews k and for the vertical adjustment of each rail. I

In case the outward track has diverging branches, as shown in Fig. 12, I use a switch, by which the carriers aredirected upon either of the divergent tracks, as may be desired.

At the intersection of the rails Z Z, I pivot the switch-rail H, held against one of the rails of the main track by a spring, 1 A link, Z, connects the switch-rail H with one of the arms of the bell-crank l, pivoted to the opposite rail of the main track. A link, Z connects the outer arm of the bell crank with an arm, Z, attached to the lower end of the vertical rotating rod Z held in suitable bearings, Z", at i the side of the track, and having an arm, Z extending across the track and attached to the vertical rod Z at such a height as to allow all carriers designed for thebranch track I to pass beneath,while all the carriers rolling over the main track whose. height above the track exceeds the height of the arm Z will move the arm-Z to the position shown in Fig. 12 by broken lines, and thereby through the connected intermediate devices throw the switchrail H across the track, as indicated by broken lines, causing the carrier to roll 011 to the branch track I. The lengths and relative positions of the arms Z and switchrail H are such that the carriers shall roll upon the end of the rail H before it leaves the arm Z", its action upon the arm Z" holding the rail H in proper position to deflect the carrier upon the track I. The-spring Z reverses the position of the switch-rail and its connected operating devices after the passage of the carrier.

lVhen converging branch tracks are used with the inward track, as shown in Fig. 14, I use a frog, J, rigidly attached to the rails at m. The opposite end, m, of the frog rests upon or may be attached to the cross-tie m The upper surface of the frog J forms an inclined way, upon which the carrier rolls, the lower end, m, of the inclined surface being low enough, as shown in Fig. 16, to allow the carrier to rest upon each of the rails in as it leaves the frog J.

The carrier forming the subject of my present invention is a modification of the carrier described and shown in the Letters Patent No. 277,892, granted to me May 22, 1883, and consists ofa ball composed oftwo hemispheres, K and L, each formed of an outer shell composed ofpaper-pulp pressed in to proper shape.

Recessed in the upper hemisphere, K, is a circular plate, a, suitably secured to the outer shell, and having a central opening provided with a screw-thread, n, to receive the screwthreaded tube n. Around the outer edge of the plate a is a flange, a, to support the edges of the outer shell.

In the hemisphere L is a similar circular plate, 1), with a central screw-threaded opening, 1), to receive the threaded tube ,1 and an outer flange, p, to support the edge of the outer shell. Around the edge of the flange p is a lip, 12', under which the spring-catches p are hooked, thereby locking the two hemispheres together. By turning one hemisphere upon the other until the spring-catches are brought at the openings 1)", the two hemispheres are unlocked.

In the hemisphere K is screwed the tube of, containing a shorter inner tube, 1', across the end of which is stretched the elastic diaphragm r,which is firmly held in place by being pressed between thetwo tubes a and r. In the inner and also allow the free passage of air, as the tube a is placed over the tube 12', which is a great advantage, as in practice the tube a should fit so accurately over the tube p as to prevent the air held in the tube a from'readily escaping otherwise. The tube p has a screw-thread,by which it is held in the central screw-threaded opening in the plate 10, and it contains an inner tube, 8, with an elastic diaphragm, s, and apertures 8 in the same manner and for the same purpose as the tubesn and 1 already described. The tubes 19 and 8 enter the tube nfiso as to bring the two elastic diaphragms against each other when the hemispheres are locked together, and so the cash held between them may be maintained in the center of the carrier.

Instead of the intermediate cl1amber,F,and basket G, held against the track, as shown in Figs. 1 and 10, the basket G may be held against the under side of the chamber F; and the opening allowing the exit of the carriers from the chamber may be through the bottom instead'of the end, and the prongs h on the basket G may be used to lift a bar, h, eXtending across the opening, in substantially the same manner as described;

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination,with,theinclined tracks of a cash-carrying system and carriers adapted to roll thereon, of a series of guard-wires attached at their ends to the tracks, and form-.

ing arches extending over said tracks at appropriate distances, as and for the purpose set forth.

- 2. The combination, with the rails of an elevated receivingtrack placed over the main inward track of a cash-carrying system, ofsprings attached to the rails of the receiving-track,

and formingan extension of the same, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination,with the rails of an elevated receiving-track, ot blade-springs e, attached to the rails of the said receiving-track, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, with main inward track of a cash-carrying system, of a U shaped buffer-wire sliding in supports attached to the track, and a spring, f, resting against one of the supporting-posts, and so acting on said U- shaped wire that its elasticity shall counteract the impacts of the carrier against the buffer-wire, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, with the main inward track of acash-carrying system, of a U-shaped buffer-wire, f, supporting-posts f f and spiral spring. f acting upon the wire f, as

and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination, with the elevator of a caslrcarrying system having atilting shelf, of an elastic block or spring arranged between the bottom or frame of theelevator and the tilting shelf, as and for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination, with the elevator of a cash-carrying system, of a retaining'finger, d, as and for the purpose set forth.

8. The combination, with the elevator of a cash-carrying system, of the elevating-tackle, as described, consisting of the elevator-cord d, pull-cord a, pulleys I) and b and eyebolt or hook I), and movable block b", with the pul leys b, all arranged and operating as and for the purpose set forth.

9. The combination, with the elevator of a cash-carrying system, of theliftingcord d and elastic ferrule d, inclosing the cord d and securely holding the end of the cord, whereby the cord may be attached to the elevator, as

and for the purpose set forth.

10. The combination, with an outward track of a cash-carrying system having openings to allow the proper distribution of the carriers and movable delivery-baskets, of intermediate chamber communicating with said openlugs and baskets, as and for the purpose set forth.

11. The combination,with the outward track of a cash-carrying system having openings E, of an intermediate chamber, F, arranged under said openings for the reception of the carriers, and having its bottom inclined toward the opposite end, as and for the purpose set forth.

12. The combination, with the outward track of a cash-carrying system having a series of openings to effect the proper distribution of the carriers and movable delivery-baskets, and intermediate chambers communicating with said openings and said delivery-baskets, of a transverse vertically-sliding. bar for retaining the carriers in theintermediate chambers, said bar being operated by the movable baskets, so as to allow the carriers to pass from the intermediate chambers into the baskets when the baskets are elevated, as and for the purpose set forth.

13. The combination, with an intermediate chamber communicating with the openings of an outward track, and having an opening to allow the exit of the carrierstherefrom, of a bar extending transversely across said opening in the chamber and sliding verticallyin slots,said bar being operated by the delivery-baskets, substantially as described, whereby the carriers may be retained in or discharged from the intermediate chamber, as desired, as and for the purpose set forth.

14. The combination of the chamber F, attached to the outward track of a cash-carrying system, of bar 71, held in and sliding vertically in the slot h, delivery-baskets G, attached to the winding-drums h, and prongs h, as and for the purpose set forth.

15. The combination, with the outward track of a cash-carrying system, of the fixed spindles 71?, attached to the track, windingdrums h, actuating-springs h, attached to the windingdrums and to the fixed spindles, and movable deliverybaskets G, connected by cords h with said winding-drums, as and for the purpose set forth.

16. The combination, with-the delivery-basket suspended by a pair of cords attached to winding-drums 011 the track, ofa pull-cord arranged in triangular form, and attached to said delivery-basket on opposite sides of its axis of suspension, as and for the purpose set forth.

17. In a cash-carrying system, the outward distributing-track having one or more circular openings, to allow the proper distribution of the carriers, and having the rails of said outward track chamfered at their inner upper corners adjacent to the circular openings, so as to form acontinuous. track for the rolling carriers, as and for the purpose set forth.

18. The combination, with the rails forming the tracks of a cash-carrying system, and having lugs attachedthereto, of a supportingrod, 7', yokej, attached to the rodj, and capable of vertical adjustment thereon, and adjusting rods 6*, attached to and capable of vertical ad justment in the yoke said rods jpassing through the lugs on the rails, said lugs being attached to the rods so as to allow vertical adjustment of the rails on the rods 9', and also the vertical adjustment of the entire track by the adjustment of the yoke j on the rods 9', as and for the purpose set forth.

19. In a way or track of a cash-carrying system, the combination, with a pivoted switch-rail, of a vertical rotating post, a horizontal arm attached to the post and vertically adjustable thereon, and extending over the track so as to be moved by the passing carriers, connecting mechanism for securing the simultaneous action of the rotating post and the pivoted switch-rail, and a spring to reverse their motion after the passage of a car rier, as and for the purpose set forth.

20. In a cash system employing rolling carriers of grad uatedsizes, the horizontal arm Z j ournaled at the side of the track, and extending over the track at a proper height to be actuated only by the larger carriers intended for the side or branch track, in combination with connected switching devices for deflecting said larger carriers onto the branch track, as and for the purpose set forth.

21. The combination, with an inclined way of a cash-carrying system and graduated carriers adapted to roll thereon, of the vertical rotating spindle if, horizontal arm Z attached to said spindle and adjustable vertically thereon, and extending over the track at proper height to be actuated by carriers of a certain size, arm Z on post 1 bell-crank Z, pivoted deflect the carriers upon a branch track,when.

desired, said switch-rail and vertical rotating post being connected so as to move simultaneously, as and for the purpose set forth.

23. The combination, with the inward track of a cash-carrying system having converging branch tracks, of a rigid frog at the intersecting tracks, said frog having an inclined surface, as described, upon which the carriers roll, thereby sustaining the carriers until the normal width of the main track has been reached, as and for the purpose set forth.

24. In a cash-carrier composed of two hemispheres, K and L, the circular dish-shaped plates recessed in the plane surfaces of one or both hemispheres, the flanged sides supporting the outer shell of the carrier, as and for the purpose set forth.

25. In a cash-carrier composed of two hemispheres, K and L, the circular plates attached to or recessed in the plane surfaces of the carrier having concentric screw-threaded openings and screw-threaded tubes inserted therein,with connected devices for holding the cash in the center of the carrier, as and for the purpose set forth.

26. In a cash-carrier composed of two hcmi- 4o spheres, K and L, the circular plate p, recessed in one of said hemispheres and having an inwardlyprojecting lip, 11, adapted to be engaged by hooks or catches attached to opposite hemisphere, whereby the two hemispheres 4 5 are locked together, as and for the purpose set forth.

27. In a cash-carrier composed of two halves or hemispheres, each half carrying a cash-holding tube, the tube in one hemisphere overlap- 5o ping the tube in the opposite hemisphere, the series of apertures in the outer end of the overlapping tube communicating with the cashholding chamber for the purpose of allowing the passage of air from said chamber when the 55 tubes are placed together, and into said chamber when they are taken apart, as and for the purpose set forth.

28. In a cash-carrier, the combination of the outer tubes, n and 1), interior tubes, 1" and 8, 6o

and diaph ragms, r and 8, extending across the inner ends of the interior tubes and held by being firmly inclosed betweenthe outer and inner tubes, said inner tubes having apertures r and s", to increase the frictional resistance 65 upon the inclosed elastic diaphragm, as and for the purpose set forth.

J. WVA LTER FLAGG.

\Vitnesses:

RUFUs B. FOWLER, Gno. E. SMITH. 

